WHEREAS, the policy of investing in employment,
training and career development is crucial to the nationís economic strength
and global competitiveness; and

WHEREAS, the investment of federal funds into adult
and youth training, employment and career development has a positive impact on
private enterprise within the local and national economy, tax-base and global
competitiveness; and

WHEREAS, Congress has cut more than $1 billion in
funding for national workforce programs over the last two years, including
support for an array of† programs
targeting dislocated workers, low-income adults, veterans, disconnected young
adults and other highly labor market vulnerable groups; and

WHEREAS, over 9 million people were served nationally
last year by the public workforce system, funded through WIA Title I programs -
a 248 percent increase in participation rates in just two years Ė and over 4.5
million WIA participants found jobs through the system; and

WHEREAS, any further cuts to funding will seriously
impact the ability of the workforce system to respond to immediate and
long-term labor market demands, disrupting business growth and slowing our
economic recovery efforts; and

WHEREAS, while the national economy is beginning to
expand, 12.8 million Americans remain unemployed, 40 percent of whom have been
looking for work for six months or† more;
and

WHEREAS, a recent Manpower survey found 52 percent of
U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling critical positions within
their organizationsóup from only 14 percent in 2010; and

WHEREAS, despite an 8.1 percent unemployment rate,
many employers in health care, advanced manufacturing, and other high-growth
sectors report that they cannot find the skilled workers needed to fill up to
3.5 million current job openings across the country; and†

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has long
promoted an agenda of smart, sustainable investments in the nationís workforce
to put us on a solid path to economic recovery and growth.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S.
Conference of Mayors urges† Congress to
reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act this year, in order to modernize the
current workforce investment system to provide Americans with a competitive
edge to compete in a global economy by acquiring the skills that growing
industries desire; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges Congress to:

Maintain funding for WIA Title I Adult,
Dislocated Worker, and Youth state formula grants programs at FY12
pre-rescission enacted levels, and fund national programs under Title I at the
levels recommended in the Administrationís FY13 budget request; and

Maintain FY2012 pre-rescission funding levels
for adult basic education state grants under Title II of WIA, consistent with
the Administrationís FY13 budget; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors calls on businesses and private enterprise to:

Invest in workforce education, training and
career exploration counseling to create a world-class competitive workforce;

Encourage employees to participate in workforce
development programs assisting students to achieve life-long learning and
careers;

Collaborate with education, state and local
leaders to build a responsive education system including career information and
curriculum reflective of current and future business needs, based upon
high-growth job trends.